Smoke, Fog, and Haze
Choking, she questioned if she was paralysed. Her mind asked her to lift an arm, a leg, her head. Anything. But her body remained where it was.
Staring up at the ceiling, her eyes were wide open, even if her body didn't respond. She could see the smoke encasing her, wrapping her tight until she couldn't breathe. Flashes of black, orange, grey… Somewhere in the distance, there were piercing screams.
Were they the students? Or were they hers?
Mouth open, she inhaled the obscurity around her, tasting the bitterness on her tongue. Coursing through her until she couldn't breathe anymore.
"No, stop!"
Her own voice roused her from sleep. Chest heaving, beads of sweat on her forehead as she blinked heavily in the dark. The lamp from the other side of the bed turned on and she felt hands tugging at her, gentle but firm.
She fell onto Eddie's chest, letting one arm hold her to him, his other hand brushing through her hair.
"It's okay," he was saying. "I'm here."
He kissed the top of her head, his nose burying in her hair. She inhaled his scent. So different to the aroma that followed a burning building, gas filtering from the kitchen. He smelt like comfort and safety.
Wrapped in his arms, exhausted mutterings of reassurance, that's how she fell asleep. This time she slept in soothing nothingness.